He has a brother!
by Pure Addict
Summary: Snape has a brother! Set at the end of OOTP. So far most changes to the original are self explanatory. My first story. PLEASE REVEIW
1. Chapter 1

"It's good to have you back Demetrius." An old man's warm voice said sincerely from just beyond the door Severus had been about to open. He faltered, sure he had misheard. Being the stoic he was, however, he simply blinked at the mention of his dead brother's name and opened the door.

His eyes couldn't process what he saw. A small voice that rarely spoke to him was trying to convince him to turn and run away and hide. But it was a very small voice and easily silenced. Demetrius stood up and turned. To another Severus may have appeared to be unaffected by his deceased brother's presence but Demetrius knew better. He alone saw what his brother was feeling. Disbelief. Pain. Confusion. Pain. Pain. Pain. Few were as adept at deciphering Severus's feelings as his elder brother Demetrius. Save Lily of course. Demetrius stood up and approached Severus from the other side of the office. He looked like Severus with slightly shorter hair and slightly older eyes.

"It's been too long little brother." Said Demetrius to the still frozen Severus in the voice that both brothers shared. Ironically their father's voice.

"How?" Severus spat. Anger welled up as he saw his brothers face, unchanged from the last time he had seen him, all those years ago.

"It's him Severus." A soothing voice said from behind the desk. Severus turned to stare at the old man.

"He's dead!" He almost shouted at Dumbledore, angrier still at the man's tranquil expression.

"Severus, sit down and I'll explain." Demetrius said in a level voice. He tried not to show quite how disturbed he was at his younger brother's behavior. The two men, both dressed in long black cloaks, took the seats across the desk from Dumbledore. Severus looked angry but didn't argue.

"I never died." Demetrius began.

"I gather." Said Severus sardonically

"Do you remember Alexis?" Demetrius said ignoring his little brother's comment. He stopped to see how Severus would take this. A shadow had crossed over his face as he nodded in acknowledgment of the name.

"He turned up dead a week after you…." Severus couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. There was an awkward silence. Demetrius stared at his brother then began again.

"Well, as you may know, he had been trying to get into the Department of Mysteries to see the veil. One of his more inventive attempts killed an unspeakable. After that the minister wanted him dealt with. We'd already tried everything when it came to finding him. We had a plan to lure him into the Death Chamber and there arrest him. Our plan was based on a bit of research based on placing someone just inside the veil, holding them there, and then bringing them back." Here Demetrius paused. The look on Snape's face was disturbing. He looked as if he might vomit.

"That… that's..." He couldn't find the word to express the horror at what he had just heard so he stopped trying.

"I know." His elder brother replied simply and then continued "Well, everything was set up. Only two others knew of the plan in full detail. I was to be the one waiting on the other side of the veil. It was the only way to make sure Alexis would come. Once I was placed in there, my memory is a little fuzzy until Black fell through. Then, I woke up and the charm that kept me alive had transferred onto Sirius. We were both paralyzed for what felt like weeks but apparently it was only about 18 hours. Then Dumbledore got us out. I would have been let out earlier but in the fight that killed Alexis both of the unspeakables who knew about me were killed." Demetrius finished his story and looked at his brother.

"You never mentioned it." Severus stated matter-of-factly.

"I know I'm sorry. I was afraid…." Demetrius paused not sure whether to continue or not.

"You're sorry!" Severus said scornfully ignoring his brother's half finished sentence. "You left me with nothing, Dmitri, NOTHING! For all these years. One day you were there and the next you were just GONE. I had no one and I didn't even know if you were dead. Every day I thought maybe you would just come back, but you DIDN'T! You just didn't." Here Severus's voice broke. He didn't care that a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek. He was staring at his brother's unnaturally young face and Dmitri looked back at him. Then, Dmitri stood up and walked over to his brother's chair and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Sev. I know." He said quietly. Severus flinched at the nickname only two people ever called him that. One was dead and the other was standing in front of him. Severus stood up suddenly. He didn't know if he wanted to punch his brother or hug him. The latter won out and the two brothers embraced.

"It's really you Dmitri." Severus asked into his brother's shoulder.

"It's me and I won't leave again." Dmitri replied.

The two men made to leave when a voice called them back.

"Just two things before you go." Dumbledore said he was smiling as old men do to see his old students and friends together once again. He, as well as Dmitri, could sense how lightened Severus had become in the relatively short time since he had entered the office. He no longer had quite so dark a look about him.

"What happened to the Occlumency lessons, Severus?" He asked with a tone of amusement in his voice. Severus gave him such a look of deepest loathing for the topic that Dumbledore pried no further.

"Very well then, I suppose I will have to make alternate arrangements. Speaking of, Dmitri will you be staying here tonight?" Dumbledore inquired.

"If Severus will have me." Dmitri replied with a smile for his little brother. They stood to leave again, but just before they exited the office Severus stopped and turned.

"What was the second thing, Headmaster" he asked delicately.

"Oh, I nearly forgot." Dumbledore replied lightly, but then his tone became more serious "I told Harry everything tonight. I thought you should know."

A shadow passed over Severus' face almost unnoticeable and then he nodded and turned to leave with his elder brother.

A quiet settled between the two men as they walked down to Severus' rooms. Suddenly, Severus broke the silence.

"Dmitri, why didn't you tell me?" He asked his voice apprehensive as though he were bracing himself for bad news. Dmitri looked down as if ashamed and then looked straight into his brothers eyes.

"It was so soon after Lily, Sev. I was afraid you weren't…ready to know about it." Dmitri answered quietly."I know I should've done something though. I'm so sorry Sev. I really am."

"I forgive you. I just always wondered… I mean since the Ministry didn't know… maybe you had just left." Severus finished his sentence barely above a whisper and the words sounded as if they were wrenched from him against his will. Severus looked down away from his brother's face at the floor. At first Dmitri couldn't understand and then he thought back to those months before he left. Then a wave of guilt and anger passed over him, anger predominate. Guilt for not telling Severus was intensified and anger at those soulless imbeciles at the Ministry who had left his little brother tormented for so long. Why couldn't they have told him something, anything? Dmitri looked long and hard at his brother before replying.

"No." and in that simple one syllable word all of Severus' pain and guilt that he had carried with him all those years began to fade. It healed and though it left a scar that was okay. Dmitri embraced his brother again as if in one hug all of Severus' pain would transfer to him instead. The brothers broke apart and now they both felt that finally healing of their souls and hearts could begin. That, with the help and support of the other, the pain wasn't quite as dark

The squeak of sneakers on the floor made both men turn. There stood Harry and he seemed to have been there for some time.


	2. Chapter 2

Dmitri glanced at his brother. Severus's face seemed frozen but his eyes conveyed all his emotion as clearly as if he had spoken them. He felt sick. Sick at the sight of Harry, sick at the thought of what he must have heard, and most of all sick at the expression on Harry's face.

Harry was petrified. First, he was sure that Snape would kill him, and second, he was sure he had gone insane, because there were two Snapes standing before him.

The silence that filled the corridor was suffocating. Dmitri was confused. He didn't understand who this young man could be, to have such a startling effect on his brother. Severus and Harry simply stood there glaring at each other. Then, Dmitri, who had honestly gotten bored as well as concerned, spoke up:

"So… who's this Sev?" he asked cheerfully.

"Harry Potter." Severus snarled in response, his eyes still locked on Harry.

"Oh." said Dmitri lamely as his smile faded quickly from his face. His mind was in free fall. He had all but forgotten about Lily Potter's son. In the short time he had had with Severus after her death, her son had rarely, if ever, come up. Still, he should have known. Now Dmitri didn't know what to do. Severus looked homicidal and Harry looked horrified. Dmitri figured he should remove Severus from the vicinity as soon as possible. He touched Severus's shoulder, trying to get him to leave but Severus just shrugged his hand away before asking in a menacing way:

"What are you doing in this part of the castle at this time of night, _Potter_?_" _He asked venomously. Harry was too scared to be angry as he responded:

"I was going to see Dumbledore." Said Harry

"Professor Dumbledore." Dmitri and Severus said simultaneously, Severus out of habit and Dmitri out of a genuine dislike of disrespectfulness.

"Yes sir." Harry said quickly as he began to walk past the brothers toward the headmaster's office. Severus opened his mouth to say something but Dmitri stopped him.

The men continued on their way down to the dungeons in silence. Neither spoke of what had just transpired. Eventually, they reached a blank, totally unremarkable, part of wall. Severus stopped and placed one pale hand on the seemingly normal stone. A second later the wall turned into a door.

"A little paranoid, don't you think Sev." said Dmitri, only half teasing his little brother.

"You don't know the half of it." replied Severus, also only half joking. Severus walked in and Dmitri tried to follow him. The moment he walked through the door, however, he cried out in pain. Severus turned just in time to see Dmitri collapse to the floor. He ran over to his older brother, his eyes full of concern but never fear. He lifted the by no means small or light body of his now unconscious brother and set him on the couch that stood nearby. Then he assessed exactly what was wrong with him. Blood ran freely from a deep cut on his cheek as well as from his nose. His neck had another deep gash that too was gushing hot red blood.

"No…no….no." Severus whispered as he cradled his brother's head. Then it struck him. The wards, on the door to his quarters. OF COURSE! He had been foolish not to think of it before. This revelation left him feeling intensely relieved and yet all the more terrified at what this meant. There was little time however to worry about that. His usual, in control, self reasserted it's self as Severus ran to his store of potions. He found the right antidote and, still perfectly calm, returned to his brother. When he reached Dmitri, he drew his wand and in a quick succession of sure wand waves he began to heal the bleeding man.


End file.
